Car body center plate



Nov. 15, 1960 .1. A. sHAFER CAR BODY CENTER PLATE Filed Nov. 4, 1958 IN V EN TOR.

CAR BODY CENTER PLATE Filed Nov. 4, 1958, Ser. No. 771,884

4 Claims. (Cl. 10S-199) This invention relates generally to improvements in railway car construction, and more particularly to improvements in the car body center plate which forms the swivel-connection between the car body and the car truck load-supporting member or bolster.

The center plate most commonly used in prior art construction consists of a single plate which is either forged or cast to include a depressed central p-ortion. This construction results in a bowl-like design and leaves a considerable area of the plate open along its flat top surface which, in turn, decreases the total crosssectional area of its top portion. This reduced crosssectional area naturally lessens the strength of the center plate in resisting stresses applied thereto through the load and motion of the railway car. Experience with the prior art center plate indicates that it is particularly susceptible to bending stresses resulting in cracks or fractures occurring at or adjacent the mergence of the flat top and the depressed central portion.

It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide a car body center plate which is improved in strength to effectively resist bending stresses.

Another object is in the provision for increasing the cross-sectional area of the top of the center plate by eliminating the necessity of depressing a single plate to form a central portion.

States Patent A further object of this invention is to provide `a i l center plate comprising two vertical-ly spaced plate members, economically and integrally cast in a single mold operation.

Still another object is to provide. a center plate having a plurality of reinforcing webs disposed to additionally strengthen the top plate thereof.

A more specific object is in the construction of a car body center plate comprising a top plate and a bottom plate, each plate being centrally apertured and integrally connected by a plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs which diverge radially outwardly from the central lapertures and dene open-end pockets between the plates.

These and other objects will become more apparent upon a reading of the following description considered and interpreted in the light of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a partial view, in transverse cross-section, showing the novel car body center plate of this invention in assembled position between the car body bolster and the car truck bolster.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the center plate of this invention.

Fig. 3 is an end or side view of the novel center plate.

Fig. 4 is a front view thereof.

Fig. 5 is a view in cross-section taken generally along the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view showing the deformation occurring in a conventional center plate as a result of the bending stresses to which it is subjected while in service.

rafice Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 2 through 5, the novel unitary center plate, generally designated by the numeral 2, is disclosed as comprising a top plate 4 and a bottom plate 6 integrally connected together by means of the circumferentially spaced ribs 8.

Top plate 4, it will be seen, is generally substantially square in plan configuration and has a at top surface 10 which is continuous except for the center aperture 12 provided to receive the usual king pin (not shown) and holes 14 for bolting or riveting the top plate to the car body bolster. Web-pairs 16--16, 18-18, and 20-20 are integrally disposed on the underside of the top plate 4 for purposes of strengthening the center plate, as will be more fully explained hereinafter.

Bottom plate 6 is formed substantially as an annular ring and has an outer circular end 22 and a central aperture 24 for complementally engaging the structure on the central bearing portion of the car truck bolster.

The circumferentially spaced ribs 8 extend radially outwardly from the central apertures 12 and 24. In addition to serving as the means making possible the unitary casting and construction of the center plate, the ribs 8 separate and vertically space top plate 4 from bottom plate 6. Ribs 8, because of their circumferential spacing, also define a plurality of pockets 26 which `are open at their outward ends, as shown at 28. Apparent, too, is the function of the ribs 8 in permitting a central portion 30 of the top plate 4 to be extended to overlie the bottom plate 6 to thereby make possible the practically unbroken top surface 10 and increase the crosssectional area of plate 4, as previously mentioned. It will also be observed that the outer ends 32 of ribs 8 are arcuately shaped to generally complement the circular end 22 of the bottom plate so as not to interfere with the swiveling engagement occurring between the bottom plate and the central bearing on the car truck bolster when the car is in service.

In Fig. 1, center plate 2 is shown in its operative position between car body bolster 34 and Car truck bolster 36. Truck bolster 36 is equipped with the usual central bearing portion 39, constructed with an inner annular boss 40 and an outer annular rim 42, defining therebetween an annular recess or groove 44. Top plate 4, in the embodiment shown, is rigidly connected to car body bolster 34 by means of rivets 38. Bottom plate 6 is positioned in groove 44 with the surface of aperture 24 loosely engaging the boss 40 in swiveling relationship.

A conventional bolster center ller casting 46 is disposed in the car body bolster between the vertical walls 48 and 50 of the car center sill 52 to increase the strength of the central load supporting area. More specifically, the center filler 46 is intended to reinforce the center plate in resisting the stresses applied thereto as a result of its load supporting function. In practice, however, it has been discovered that due to the heavy loads carried by the car, the center ller 46 moves or creeps upwardly between the walls 48 and 50 and, hence, fails to adequately reinforce the center plate.

As is known, the load of the railway car is transmitted through the center sill 52 and' is substantially fully supported by the center plate resting on the car truck bolster. More particularly, the load is transmitted through the vertical walls 48 and 50 of the center sill and is almost wholly applied to the top plate 4 of the center plate at the lateral end portions thereof directly beneath the horizontal flanges 48a and 50h. This result is due primarily to the relationship of the walls 48 and 50 to the center plate in the assembled position as observed in Fig. l. It will be further observed that the walls 48 and 50 are spaced laterally outwardly relative to the bottom plate 6. In conventional constructions, these walls are disposed laterally outwardly of the bowl portion. This operative relationship contributes greatly to the aforementioned fractures occurring in conventional center plates as, obviously, the lateralend portions of the center plate are structurally insufficient to resist the bending stresses to which they are subjected as a result of the described operative condition. Generally, the lateral end portions will bend downwardly, as shown by arrows A in Fig. 6, causing the central portion of the center .plate to tend to bend upwardly (arrows B), thus producing the fractures in the area designated. In etfect, the heavy loads tend to force the bowl portion of the conventional center plate upwardly between the Walls 48 and Si) of the center sill.

In addition to the provision of top plate 4 having a substantially continuous top surface 10, the center plate 2 of this invention is further increased in strength by the utilization -of the previously mentioned plurality of web-pairs. Longitudinally spaced pairs 18-18 and 2tl- Z are located on opposed lateral end portions of top plate 4 so as to underlie, in the assembled position of Fig. l, the walls 48 and S0, respectively, at which point the bending stresses applied to plate 4 are the greatest. The webs of Web-pair 16-16 are spaced on the longitudinal center line x-x of top plate 4 (Fig. 2) to thereby additionally st-rengthen the center plate against bending in the critical central portion. In this manner, center plate 2 is effectively strengthened or reinforced to resist the described bending stresses to which it is subjected as a result of the loads transmitted to it by the center sill 52.

A feature of the invention resides in the adaptability of the construction to lubrication of the swiveling engagement between the center plate and central bearing portion of the truck bolster. In providing the pockets 26 with the open ends shown at 28, oil-saturated wastes may be employed in place of the heavy greases and oils now used. In conventional center plate constructions, the only opportunity for lubrication occurs prior to assembly, at which time grease or oil is placed in the annular groove of the central bearing `on the car truck bolster. Further lubrication while in service is impossible and this important swiveling engagement frequently goes dry before another opportunity for lubrication occurs during a repair period. rIlhe use of oil-saturated wastes, made possible by this invention, permits constant lubrication through seepage and the availability of the pockets to workmen While the railway car is in service.

There has been disclosed, therefore, a unitary center plate improved in strength by providing a substantially continuous top surface reinforced by a plurality of webpairs disposed in the portions of greatest stress. Also described is the use of the circumferentially spaced ribs, vertically spacing the top and bottom plates and defining open-end pockets therebetween.

The 4terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation and there is no intention of excluding such equivalents of the invention described or of the portions thereof as fall within the purview of the claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In railway car construction, a car body center plate comprising a top plate member and a bottom plate member, said top and bottom members being centrally apertured, circumferentially spaced ribs extending radially outwardly from the central aperture and integrally connecting said .top and bottom members, said ribs and members defining pockets open at both ends thereof and extending radially outward from the central aperture.

2. In railway car construction, a unitary car body center plate comprising a top plate and a bottom plate, said top plate being centrally apertured, said top plate having on its underside a plurality of reinforcing webs arranged in longitudinal pairs, said bottom plate being centrally apertured, circumferentially spaced ribs diverging radially from said central apertures and integrally connecting said top and bottom plates and dening open-end pockets between said plates.

3. A unitary car body center plate comprising a top plate and a bottom plate, said top and bottom plates having a central aperture, a plurality of ribs between said plates diverging radially outwardly from said aperture and integrally joining said plates, said top plate having on its underside a plurality of reinforcing webs longitudinally spaced in pairs.

4. A unitary car body center plate comprising a top plate and an annular bottom plate, said top plate having a central portion completely overlying said bottom plate, said top and bottom plates being centrally apertured, a plurality of ribs between said plates diverging radially outwardly from said aperture and integrally joining said plates, said top plate having on its underside a plurality of reinforcing webs disposed adjacent the outer periphery thereof.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,655,117 Travilla Oct. 13, 1953 2,833,227 Heater et al. May 6, 1958 2,843,058 Travilla et a1 July 15, 1958 

